Wollaberg
# Wollaberg

Wollaberg is a small town in the district of Freyung-Grafenau in Bavaria in Germany.

## Geography

Wollaberg is located in the southern Bavarian Forest, not far from the Czech and Austrian borders. It is not far from Passau, the gateway to the Bavarian Forest. It located at an altitude of 769 m above sea level and has about 500 inhabitants. Wollaberg is one of the seven so-called artists villages in the region. The local population is predominantly Catholic.

## History

### Theories behind the name Wollaberg

There are several theories for the name Wollaberg.

The name Wollaberg may point to a Roman origin because the local Teuton inhabitants called the Romans Walschen or Walchen. This hypothesis was proposed by Georg Brand, pastor in Wollaberg from 1893 to 1903. However, Wollaberg is situated outside the boundaries of the former Roman Empire. Perhaps scattered Romans settled here when the Roman Empire collapsed.

Alternatively, Wollaberg could come from wallern (wallfahren), which one can rather assume. Probably already in the 12th century a little church stood on the Wollaberg. Freyung church bills mention pilgrimages since 1591 and especially in the year of plague 1599 "when they went to Wallenperg".

Another theory was pursued by Wollaberg-born prelate Dr. Schmöller. He considered that Wollaberg was formed from the surrounding villages around 1257, because at that time this area was given by the Bishop of Passau, Otto von Lonsdorf, as a fief to the nearby castles to pay his war debt. Therefore, the owners of these castles tried as soon as possible to settle in this area in order to gain income themselves from tithes and rents.

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